Dust collection sensing device of automatic cleaner

ABSTRACT

A dust collection sensing device of an automatic cleaner comprises: a main body with a placing chamber provided inside and a channel is provided on a side of the placing chamber, a dust collecting box installed within the placing chamber and an extended vacuuming pipe being provided on a side of the dust collecting box with an end thereof extending though the channel, a sensing assembly comprising a signal sending element and a signal receiving element, which are installed separately on the two opposite wall surfaces of the channel and are corresponding to the two sides of the bottom of the vacuuming pipe, and a warning indicator installed on the main body and connected to the signal receiving element of the sensing assembly electrically.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a dust collection sensing device of an automatic cleaner, and more particularly to a device which transmits a warning when a dust collecting box of the automatic cleaner is overflowing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is a common technology to vacuuming and cleaning an indoor environment by an automatic cleaning device. The implementing concept is, without human operation, to facilitate the cleaning device having a dust-vacuuming function by a controlling logic of an autonomous robot to automatically achieve the purpose of cleaning the floor.

The automatic cleaning device in the existing technology is the same as a common vacuuming device, in which a dust collecting box is provided so as to contain the collected dust and waste during a clean period. However, the dust collecting box is installed in the internal space of the automatic cleaning device, so the user can't judge directly the quantity of the collected dust and the waste in the dust collecting box timely with the unaided eyes. The user has to disassemble the automatic cleaning device to check the quantity of the collected dust and waste in the dust collecting box after a period of time, so as to ensure that the automatic cleaning device effects properly. However, it is quite inconvenient because the user has to check the dust collecting box constantly. It may waste time and the unnecessary power consumption due to the invalid operation of the automatic cleaning device from user's inattention or busy work if the user forgets to check the dust collecting box.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to overcome the above drawbacks, an objective of the present invention is to provide an improved dust collection sensing device of an automatic cleaner.

In order to achieve above objective, the present invention provides a dust collection sensing device of an automatic cleaner comprising:

-   -   a main body for being as a dust-vacuuming cleaner with a         controlling logic of an autonomous mobile robot, in which a         placing chamber is provided, and a channel connected to the         outside of the main body is provided on a side of the placing         chamber, and the placing chamber communicates with an         air-extracting chamber inside the main body, and an         air-extracting device is installed within the air-extracting         chamber,     -   a dust collecting box, placed within the placing chamber, for         being as a housing body forming a containing space, in which an         extracting port corresponding to an opening of the         air-extracting chamber is provided on the dust collecting box,         and an extended vacuuming pipe is provided on a side of the dust         collecting box to communicate with an inner space of the dust         collecting box in correspondence to the channel of the main body         with one end of the vacuuming pipe extending through the         channel,     -   a sensing assembly comprising a signal sending element and a         signal receiving element correspondingly, wherein the signal         sending element and the signal receiving element are installed         separately on the two opposite wall surfaces of the channel and         are provided on two sides of the bottom of the vacuuming pipe,         in which the signal sending element and the signal receiving         element of the sensing assembly may be electronic components         that are able to transmit sensing signals by a specific light         source, and     -   a warning indicator installed on the main body and electrically         connected to the signal receiving element of the sensing         assembly, in which the warning indicator transmits a warning by         setting an electric logic when the sensing signal between the         signal sending element and the signal receiving element is         interrupted.

The design of the present invention is to install the sensing assembly on the two opposite wall surfaces of the channel in a position corresponding to the bottom of the vacuuming pipe. Thus when the inner space of the dust collecting box is almost full of the dust, the jammed dust may stay in the vacuuming pipe and be incapable of entering to the inner space of the dust collecting box Thus the jammed dust blocks light transmitting between the signal sending element and the signal receiving element, and then the warning indicator is actuated to transmit a warning so as to remind the user to clear the dust collecting box to avoid the automatic cleaning device from an invalid operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-section view of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In order to realize the characteristics, the subject matter, and the advantages of the present invention and the efficacy thereof, accompanying drawings and the detailed description of the embodiments are described as below. The purposes of the drawings adopted by the present invention are just to exemplify and support the specification. Those drawings are not necessarily as the real proportion and the accurate arrangements. The real implementation of the claims of the present invention is not limited by the proportions and the arrangements in the drawings.

Please refer to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3. The dust collection sensing device of an automatic cleaner of the present invention in a preferred embodiment includes a main body (10), a dust collecting box (20), a sensing assembly (30) and a warning indicator (40).

The main body (10) is a dust-vacuuming type cleaner with a controlling logic of an autonomous mobile robot, in which a placing chamber (11) is installed. A channel (12) connected to the corresponding floor surface outside the main body (10) is provided on a side of the placing chamber (11). The placing chamber (11) connects to an air-extracting chamber (13) inside the main body (10). An air-extracting device may be installed within the air-extracting chamber (13) as a vacuuming power source of the present invention.

The dust collecting box (20) is a housing body which forms a containing space and is installed within the placing chamber correspondingly. An extracting port (21) corresponding to an opening of the air-extracting chamber (13) is provided on the dust collecting box (20) for extracting and vacuuming after actuating the air-extracting device. An extended vacuuming pipe (22) is provided on a side of the dust collecting box. The vacuuming pipe (22) is communicated with an inner space of the dust collecting box (20) and is installed within the channel (12) of the main body (10) correspondingly and extends through the channel (12) by an end thereof to vacuum the floor surface. A filter screen (23) is further installed between the extracting port (21) and the vacuuming pipe (22) so as to isolate the vacuumed dust and waste.

The sensing assembly (30) further comprises a signal sending element (31) and a signal receiving element (32) correspondingly. The signal sending element (31) and the signal receiving element (32) are installed separately on the two opposite wall surfaces of the channel (12) and are positioned to correspond to two sides of the bottom of the vacuuming pipe (22), wherein the signal sending element (31) and the signal receiving element (32) of the sensing assembly (30) may be electronic components that are able to utilize a specific light source for sending sensing signals.

The warning indicator (40) is installed on the main body (10) and connected to the signal receiving element (32) of the sensing assembly (30) electrically. The warning indicator (40) may transmit a warning to remind the user by setting an electric logic when the sensing signal between the signal sending element (31) and the signal receiving element (32) is interrupted. The warning indicator (40) may utilize various warnings such as a light source or a sound speaker for transmitting the warning. When it comes to a light source to transmit the warning (e.g. a flash LED lamp), the warning indicator (40) has to be installed on an outside surface of an external shell of the main body (10) for viewing by the user with the unaided eyes. When it comes to a sound speaker used as the warning in an embodiment (e.g. a buzzer), the structure is not limited to the above. The warning indicator (40) may be installed within the inner space of the main body (10) or on the outside surface of the main body (10). A flash lamp is used in the drawings to be one embodiment of the present invention.

The characteristic of the present invention is that the sensing assembly (30) is provided on the two opposite wall surfaces of the channel (12) and is corresponding to the bottom of the vacuuming pipe (22). When the inner space of the dust collecting box (20) is almost full of dust, the jammed dust may stay in the vacuuming pipe (22) and be incapable of entering to the inner space of the dust collecting box (20), and thus the dust will block light transmitting between the signal sending element (31) and the signal receiving element (32). Then the warning indicator (40) is actuated to transmit a warning so as to remind the user should clear the dust collecting box (20) to avoid the automatic cleaning device from invalid vacuuming.

As can be appreciated from the above content, the present invention has achieved desired effects and a person having ordinary skill in the art can not reach the present invention easily. Furthermore, the present invention is not published before filing, and the inventive step and the industrial applicability thereof accord with the requirements of patentability.

Above detailed description of the embodiments only describes the technical concepts and the characteristics of the present invention. The objective is to make a person having ordinary skill in the art can realize and carry out the subject matter of the present invention, but not to limit the claims of the present invention. Any change or modification that is made according to the spirit of the present invention should be included in appended claims. 

1. A dust collection sensing device of an automatic cleaner, comprising: a main body for being as a dust-vacuuming cleaner with a controlling logic of an autonomous mobile robot, in which a placing chamber is provided, and a channel connected to the outside of the main body being provided on a side of the placing chamber, and the placing chamber being communicated with an air-extracting chamber inside the main body, and an air-extracting device being installed within the air-extracting chamber; a dust collecting box, placing within the placing chamber, for being as a housing body forming a containing space, in which an extracting port corresponds to an opening of the air-extracting chamber being provided on the dust collecting box, and an extended vacuuming pipe being provided on a side of the dust collecting box to communicate with an inner space of the dust collecting box in correspondence to the channel of the main body with one end of the vacuuming pipe extending through the channel; a sensing assembly, comprising a signal sending element and a signal receiving element correspondingly, the signal sending element and the signal receiving element being installed separately on the two opposite wall surfaces of the channel and being provided on two sides of the bottom of the vacuuming pipe, in which the signal sending element and the signal receiving element of the sensing assembly may be electronic components that are able to transmit sensing signals by a specific light source, and; a warning indicator installed on the main body and electrically connected to the signal receiving element of the sensing assembly, in which the warning indicator transmits a warning by setting an electric logic when the sensing signal between the signal sending element and the signal receiving element is interrupted.
 2. The dust collection sensing device of an automatic cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the warning indicator utilizes a light source to transmit the warning, and the warning indicator is installed on an outside surface of an external shell of the main body.
 3. The dust collection sensing device of an automatic cleaner as claimed in claim 2, wherein the warning indicator is a flash LED lamp.
 4. The dust collection sensing device of an automatic cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the warning indicator utilizes a sound speaker to transmit the warning, and the warning indicator is installed within the main body or on the outside surface of the main body.
 5. The dust collection sensing device of an automatic cleaner as claimed in claim 4, wherein the warning indicator is a buzzer. 